Gettin Up Stairs

Comment by Strumelia on November 27, 2011 at 9:58pm

What is meant by "SICH A getting up stairs"?

My husband and I play an old-time fiddle & clawhammerbanjo tune called "Gettin' Upstairs", I wonder if it's related.

Is that a pile of sausages on the table in the picture?

 

Comment by Tim Twiss on November 27, 2011 at 10:00pm

Substitute.."such"

Comment by Tim Twiss on November 27, 2011 at 10:01pm

Check the melody and see....

Comment by Strumelia on November 27, 2011 at 10:37pm

I didn't want to just assume the 'sich' meant 'such', so thanks for clarifying.   :)

 

Tim, I found your youtube clip of Rice's version of Gettin' Up Stairs, and compared it to John Morgan Salyer's (1882-1952, from eastern Kentucky) quirky fiddle tune of the same name.  I admit I'm a little disappointed to hear no connection at all between the two.  But I suppose a 'stairs' theme title is hardly unusual for musical pieces that skip up and down on the strings.

What geographical area was Rice gathering his material from, is it known?

Comment by Ian Bell on November 28, 2011 at 7:25pm

Strangely (well, maybe not) this tune is also considered a "traditional" Morris Dance tune in England. 

I wonder how long it took between the first arrival of the Virginia Minstrels (or whoever it was) in Britain and its transplantation. Check it out here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bMQMunrzco

 

Comment by Tim Twiss on November 28, 2011 at 8:16pm

I think this was before they went...1830's....

Comment by Ian Bell on November 29, 2011 at 7:57am

I'm sure in this case it went from the New World to the Old. It must have been one of the first examples of this kind of musical "backwash".

Comment by Tim Twiss on November 29, 2011 at 8:06am

You are absolutely right about the Morris dance tune...Hans Nathan cites it as such in his book and shows examples-pg 166-169.

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